BMW M8 Competition review: M(acht) in everyday life on the road

The M8 Competition is the most powerful coupe from Bayerische Motoren Werke. Whether it's top speed or acceleration time, the technical data is remarkable. You can find out more about this and how suitable the M8 is for everyday use in the following report.

Testing a competition model is always something special. You know what to expect and yet you are always surprised. Driving a car at over 300 km/h on an empty motorway while still maintaining perfect posture is just one of the features worth mentioning. I don't want to say any more than that, I'll start straight away with the report.

tl;dr: Is the most powerful sports coupe that BMW has to offer worth it?

From 0-100 km/h in 3,2 seconds and 750 Nm at a possible top speed of 305 km/h sounds great, doesn't it? That is definitely possible with the M8 Competition and the necessary cash. I only wrote "necessary cash" for the sake of the saying. The Competition starts at €183.500,00 (including 19% VAT). If you want the equally comfortable carbon bucket seats, extensive assistance systems and ceramic brakes, you're already at just under €201.000,00. Our test car price is a proud €212.180,00. At least the Isle of Men Green metallic paint, which I think is very fitting, is not an extra charge. The trunk is relatively long, but this means that the rear seats are more of a storage area and have nothing to do with comfortable seats. Thanks to its dimensions of 4,87 x 1,91 meters x 1,36 meters (length x width x height), the vehicle sits incredibly well on the road, both at high speeds and in curves. The latter can also be driven in a "sportier" manner by switching to rear-wheel drive.

On the other hand, the BMW is also suitable for longer journeys for two people; the seats and general driving comfort allow for this. Thanks to the well-coordinated 8-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic, the M8 shifts gears almost imperceptibly but lightning-fast, so that the power is always noticeable. The fuel consumption of 13-17 liters per 100 kilometers is not to be ignored, however. Heated seats, electric seats and trunk, as well as doors with soft-close contribute to comfort, a deep appearance, lots of carbon and clear lines such as corners and edges add to the sportiness. Points of criticism are the assistance systems, which could be improved somewhat, and the back seat, which is less suitable for passengers. Both of these are of course complaining at a high level for a sports car.

Design: Flowing lines and clear edges

You can see at first glance how the aerodynamics are distributed on the vehicle. From the bonnet over the roof to the rear spoiler, you can see a bulge that is intended to carry the air over the middle of the sports car. On the sides, the air curtains, or "breathers" as BMW calls them, provide the same effect. The roof is always made of carbon, and the rear spoiler, breather, exterior mirror caps, diffuser insert and elements in the front can also be made a little lighter with the optional M Carbon exterior package.

If we start with the front, we notice that between the two headlights with laser light we have not installed oversized kidneys like those of the BMW M4, but two that are slightly larger and taper more towards the bottom than those of the normal 3 Series. Also noticeable are the many air intakes, which were already present on the X6M Competition provided cooling.

On the sides, the 20-inch star-spoke rims in bicolor, which in my opinion match the characteristics of the vehicle, are fitted as standard on the vehicle. In addition, the previously mentioned "breathers" made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) provide structure on the sides.

It is the rear that really catches the interest of most people. Aside from the M8 lettering, the four-pipe M sports exhaust system is not only a feast for the eyes, but also a feast for the ears. The recessed reflectors give the rear width and structure.

Display key

One of the smaller highlights is the display key. Not to be confused with the digital key, which you can activate on your mobile phone so that you theoretically don't have to carry a physical key with you. On the contrary, the display key is larger and wider than a normal key and, as the name suggests, has a small touch display with which you can see whether the vehicle is locked, the lights are still on and how many kilometers of range the tank has left. The air conditioning can also be controlled using the key. proprogramm. Ultimately, these are all functions that can be operated even better with the app, it is more interesting than a normal key and it is definitely a special eye-catcher. However, you just have to remember to put the display key on the wireless charging tray every two weeks while driving, otherwise the battery of the somewhat clunky display will quickly run out.

Interior: Sportiness meets luxury

A highlight of our interior equipment are definitely the carbon bucket seats with illuminated M8 logo. The sportiest seats that BMW has to offer are electrically adjustable and heated. Seat ventilation is only possible with the sports seats, however. Yes, there are the standard sports seats and, for 6.000,00 euros more, the M carbon bucket seats. I can recommend the bucket seats to people who have a little less stamina. The thigh area is the tightest, the sides are no problem thanks to the adjustable bolsters. The striking Merino/Alcantara combination is a matter of taste, but in my opinion it harmonizes perfectly with the Isle of Man Green metallic paint. No expense was spared with the Alcantara. Whether it's the glove compartment, pillars or roof liner, everything that isn't covered in leather is covered in Alcantara. The standard Harman/Kardon sound system is definitely more than sufficient for everyday use. However, it is not comparable to the Bowers and Wilkins system, which costs an additional €4.450,00.

Picture: TechnikNews

Center console

The center console is a mixture of old and new design. Most models currently share a pattern around the gear knob: illuminated M gear knob with integrated M logo, which can also be used to set the Drivelogic mode, red start button, touch buttons with haptic feedback that can be used to call up the driving mode and the setup for the M buttons on the steering wheel, and the important iDrive controller, which I use more often than the actual touch controls on the 12,3-inch infotainment. Apart from the controller or touch, you can also use gesture control to turn up the music, for example - but in the M8 it often took two attempts for the waving of the finger to be recognized. Under the infotainment, which offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, is the climate and radio control, as we already saw in the iX3 This means quickly accessible buttons and radio keys that can also be used for vehicle displays procan be programmed. An "M8 Competition" logo is emblazoned above the cup holders and wireless charging cradle. Of course, we also have subtle ambient lighting and illuminated door sills on board.

Picture: TechnikNews

trunk

In the 4,87 m long coupé, the priorities were clearly set on trunk volume. It is astonishingly long and holds 420 litres, albeit with a high loading sill. However, the seating comfort in the rear had to give way. Two people can sit on the seats here, but whether they want to is another matter. Due to the steeply sloping rear, only people with a height of 2 m can perhaps still sit upright, but there is still very little legroom. If you want to fold the seats down for more storage space, the front seats must not be set too far back. Perhaps only the children should sit in the back seat. There are at least ISOFIX attachments. Unlike the Gran Coupé, there are only two climate zones, for the people in the front.

Picture: TechnikNews

Driving impression: Safe on the road up to 305 km/h

Despite a chassis made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic called "Carbon Core," the Competition model starts at 1.975 kg curb weight. Certainly heavier than many other sports cars from the competition, but fortunately the extra kilos are put to good use. This shows that the sports coupe wants to master the balancing act between performance and luxury. Decent assistance systems, seat and steering wheel heating, an electric trunk with reliable foot detection, soft close and an impressive length of 4,87 meters give you the feeling of having a car that can do more, even away from the race track. Apropos Assistant, the distance control with Stop&Go maintains the speed and distance to the vehicle in front at speeds of up to 210 km/h. The steering and lane guidance assistant ensures that the vehicle stays in lane. The latter are unfortunately not at the usual BMW level, but better than, for example, the one we also tested. Volvo S90But whatever the assistants do, you can see it in the Assisted View on the digital 12,3-inch instrument cluster.

Of course, with a sports car you don't want to leave all the work to the electronic helpers, but rather drive yourself over the asphalt at up to 305 km/h. At least with the optional M Driver's Package; without it, the electronic limit is 250 km/h. But regardless of whether you drive at 250 or 305 km/h, the M8 drives as if crosswinds and small bumps couldn't faze it thanks to its good aerodynamics and long wheelbase. Thanks to M Setup, you can make settings for the most important components such as the engine, brakes, steering and damping at any time, and create profiles for the M1 and M2 buttons. As for the brakes, we have installed M carbon ceramic brakes (€9.400,00), which can be identified by their golden brake callipers. These ensure very good braking, and the ABS also responds quickly. You can oversteer quite well with the stability control switched off and switching to rear-wheel drive for a nice drift, but at the same time it is almost impossible to break out with all-wheel drive and DSC activated.

BMW laser light

I didn't like the high beam assistant so much, which notices relatively late that it can now switch on the laser light, which is otherwise good and moves with the steering movement. The view into the right blind spot is also not so clear due to the width of the vehicle and the small rear side windows. The view through the rear window is, however, extremely good for a coupe.

Picture: TechnikNews

The consumption

With a 4,4 liter V8 engine that hides 625 hp under its optional M Carbon engine cover, you can certainly have fun driving, but not economically. Under 12 liters per 100 kilometers is not possible, but above that, quite a lot. The average consumption for normal driving is just under 15 liters combined. But 19 liters is certainly possible if you want to drive the M8 Competition properly.

Thanks to BMW Germany for providing the M8 Competition for this review.